A U.S. Navy warship sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea on Friday, drawing an angry rebuke from Beijing, which accused it of intentionally stirring tensions.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur sailed near the Paracel Islands, challenging what U.S. officials called China's "excessive maritime claims."

The operation was the fourth challenge the United States has made to what it says are overreaching maritime claims by China in the South China Sea in the past year.